PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF FABRICATED MICROBIAL ASSISTED FUEL REACTOR WITH SELECTIVE CONSORTIA FOR HEXAVALENT CHROMIUM REDUCTION, WASTEWATER REMEDIATION AND ENERGY GENERATION
Use of biological microbial agents to reduce waste has been at the centre of sustainable technology for a decade now. A major type of pollutant from tannery effluents is hexavalent chromium. A ten-litre dual-chamber reactor withdual chamber was used as a microbial fuel cell for remediating synthetic sludge containing hexavalent chromium. Sulphonated polyether ether ketone as an exchange membrane for protons was used to transfer the generated ions tothe cathodic chamber. Microbial consortia used in this study were isolated in our laboratory previously, whichwereBacillus australimaris and Bacillus albus. It was observed that the percentage removal of biological material fromthe catholyte was around 95%, and for chemical compounds it was around 86%. Dissolved solids were reducedby84%. The present consortia with the functionalized membrane used to separate the chambers in this studyhavenever been addressed for the current working volume. The production of electricity by the consortia is relatedtoSDG 7, while the remediation part of the Microbial fuel cell is related to SDG-6. This system can be integratedwithpre-existing treatment anaerobic digesters or membrane bioreactors, as well as novel applications suchashydroponics or remote sensors that extend their viability for both centralized and decentralized sanitation solutions. This research will pave the way for many more innovative designs and alternatives in microbial fuel cells for asustainable future for all.
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